Where to buy blue electrolytic capacitors like the ones in original Fuzz Faces?

[A.Gillies]

Hi, this is my first post here so forgive me if I've put it in the wrong section. I was just wondering where I can buy blue electrolytic capacitors like the ones in original fuzz faces. Also where can I buy flat metallized polyester capacitors like in the original? Thanks!

[Mark Hammer]

You are assuming, of course, that a) someone still uses fabrication methods from the late 60s to produce new ones, or that b) NOS caps from that period will be in tip-top shape and not dried out like their installed brethren from that same time period.

Not so sure about either of those.

[CynicalMan]

I don't know about the production technique, but many of the Vishay series will get the blue look down.
http://www.vishay.com/docs/28325/021asm.pdf
http://www.vishay.com/docs/28332/138aml.pdf
http://www.vishay.com/docs/28334/118aht.pdf


Tropical Fish caps are pretty easy to find but are often overpriced. Here are some decently priced 0.01uF ones:
http://cgi.ebay.com/4-PCS-Tropical-Fish-Capacitor-10nF-20-250V-/220550595760?pt=UK_Consumer_VintageAudio_RL&hash=item3359d704b0

@Mark     Dunlop uses blue electrolytic caps in their current Fuzz Faces. I doubt that they use the 60s techniques, but the blue-ness of their mojo makes up for that.


Edit: Oops, I didn't see that you wanted the flat poly caps. Some of the Fuzz Faces used the Tropical Fish caps, though.
Edit2: Here you go: http://cgi.ebay.com/1-PC-Philips-341-Capacitor-10nF-0-01uF-250V-MKT-/320684794823?pt=UK_Consumer_VintageAudio_RL&hash=item4aaa4da3c7

[A.Gillies]

Awesome. Thanks! I don't really care about the production techniques, I'm just interested in the blue mojo, so those links are perfect. Thank you!

[RedHouse]

I don't know about the production technique, but many of the Vishay series will get the blue look down.
http://www.vishay.com/docs/28325/021asm.pdf
http://www.vishay.com/docs/28332/138aml.pdf
http://www.vishay.com/docs/28334/118aht.pdf


Tropical Fish caps are pretty easy to find but are often overpriced. Here are some decently priced 0.01uF ones:
http://cgi.ebay.com/4-PCS-Tropical-Fish-Capacitor-10nF-20-250V-/220550595760?pt=UK_Consumer_VintageAudio_RL&hash=item3359d704b0

@Mark     Dunlop uses blue electrolytic caps in their current Fuzz Faces. I doubt that they use the 60s techniques, but the blue-ness of their mojo makes up for that.


Edit: Oops, I didn't see that you wanted the flat poly caps. Some of the Fuzz Faces used the Tropical Fish caps, though.
Edit2: Here you go: http://cgi.ebay.com/1-PC-Philips-341-Capacitor-10nF-0-01uF-250V-MKT-/320684794823?pt=UK_Consumer_VintageAudio_RL&hash=item4aaa4da3c7

Well said!   

[zombiwoof]

I don't know about the production technique, but many of the Vishay series will get the blue look down.
http://www.vishay.com/docs/28325/021asm.pdf
http://www.vishay.com/docs/28332/138aml.pdf
http://www.vishay.com/docs/28334/118aht.pdf


Tropical Fish caps are pretty easy to find but are often overpriced. Here are some decently priced 0.01uF ones:
http://cgi.ebay.com/4-PCS-Tropical-Fish-Capacitor-10nF-20-250V-/220550595760?pt=UK_Consumer_VintageAudio_RL&hash=item3359d704b0

@Mark     Dunlop uses blue electrolytic caps in their current Fuzz Faces. I doubt that they use the 60s techniques, but the blue-ness of their mojo makes up for that.


Edit: Oops, I didn't see that you wanted the flat poly caps. Some of the Fuzz Faces used the Tropical Fish caps, though.
Edit2: Here you go: http://cgi.ebay.com/1-PC-Philips-341-Capacitor-10nF-0-01uF-250V-MKT-/320684794823?pt=UK_Consumer_VintageAudio_RL&hash=item4aaa4da3c7

Has anyone else noticed that Dunlop always uses a .1uf output cap in their Fuzz Faces?.  I saw a pic of the internals of the blue Hendrix BC-108 "reissue" and they even use .1uf in that one.  The originals used .01uf, and one of the first things I did with my older red Dunlop Fuzz Face was to change that to a .01uf, it got rid of the overly bassy sound of the fuzz.  I know there is a schematic of the Fuzz Face floating around out there that mistakenly shows .1uf there, I always figured Dunlop just went by that schematic, but I'm surprised that they did the same thing in the Hendrix FF, which they supposedly went to great pains with to copy the original circuit.  They make sure they get the same kind of flat yellow cap that was in some Fuzz Faces, but they use the wrong value.  What's up with that?.  Are they purposefully putting in the higher value to make it more bassy?.

Al

Al

[CynicalMan]

Could be. Remember that Hendrix often had his fuzz running through a Marshall stack with ass-demolishing bass. When you run the same fuzz through a Fender Frontman, it's going to sound pretty anemic. Then Dunlop's customers say "Hey, this doesn't make me sound like Hendrix!" and they demand their money back.

It's also possible that one of the mods done on Jimi's Fuzz Faces was increasing that cap's value.

[zombiwoof]

Could be. Remember that Hendrix often had his fuzz running through a Marshall stack with ass-demolishing bass. When you run the same fuzz through a Fender Frontman, it's going to sound pretty anemic. Then Dunlop's customers say "Hey, this doesn't make me sound like Hendrix!" and they demand their money back.

It's also possible that one of the mods done on Jimi's Fuzz Faces was increasing that cap's value.

Dunlop has been using that cap value ever since they started making Fuzz Faces, though, not just on the recent Hendrix one.   And I've never heard of anyone saying that one of Roger Mayer's mods was to increase the output cap.  It actually is one of the problems of the stock red Fuzz Faces, they are way too bassy with that higher-value cap in there.  As I said, changing it to the correct vintage value is one of the things that helped make mine sound decent (along with putting in properly-biased transistors, the ones that were in there were way off).  I guess there's no way to know for sure the reason, but it's always bugged me.  I mean, it's a simple circuit, and the vintage schematic values have been known for years, it makes no sense to me to put in a cap that makes the pedal sound like sludge.  I know I'm just ranting, but it's something that I really find annoying, IMO the stock red Fuzz Faces might not have the bad reputation they have if Dunlop had just paid a little more attention to the correct component values and biasing the transistors correctly (I have a feeling they didn't use to bias those things at all, from the way my red Dunlop sounded out of the box).  I think it's possible they just copied that schematic that I've seen at various places that has the wrong cap value on it, but who knows?.  Oh well...........

Al

[skiraly017]

Mojo certified Vishay blue axial electrolytics from Mouser.

63v 2.2uf - Mouser PN 594-2222-021-38228
63v 22uf - Mouser PN 594-2222-021-38229

[A.Gillies]

Mojo certified Vishay blue axial electrolytics from Mouser.

63v 2.2uf - Mouser PN 594-2222-021-38228
63v 22uf - Mouser PN 594-2222-021-38229

Thanks!

[rousejeremy]

Sorry to bump such an old topic but are these caps any where to be found in Toronto?

[stringsthings]

... Remember that Hendrix often had his fuzz running through a Marshall stack with ass-demolishing bass. When you run the same fuzz through a Fender Frontman, it's going to sound pretty anemic. Then Dunlop's customers say "Hey, this doesn't make me sound like Hendrix!" and they demand their money back.

It's also possible that one of the mods done on Jimi's Fuzz Faces was increasing that cap's value.

good points

[A.Gillies]

Sorry to bump such an old topic but are these caps any where to be found in Toronto?

If you go to A1 Electronics you'll sometimes find these in the axial electrolytic bins, usually in the 25V bins. I love A1 Electronics.

[rousejeremy]

Sorry to bump such an old topic but are these caps any where to be found in Toronto?

If you go to A1 Electronics you'll sometimes find these in the axial electrolytic bins, usually in the 25V bins. I love A1 Electronics.

I've been hearing nothing but good things about that place lately. I'll have to check it out. Thanks!